Morning all and welcome to the Fifteen Minute Novel. Here I take the start of a story idea and work on it for fifteen minutes a day. I started with an old writing prompt that interested me, cleaned it up a bit to fit the basic outline of the story I want to write and then set aside fifteen minutes each week day to see it grow. Each morning’s writing starts with the last sentence of the day before. And so now we have the story of Kasca…
Day 111: Seeing various signs of illness, Kasca guessed she was open for business whether she was ready or not.
Seeing various signs of illness, Kasca guessed she was open for business whether she was ready or not. The next few hours passed in a blur. Many of the things Kasca was asked to deal with were fairly basic. There were no calls for the cure of the disease still spreading. She didn’t know if those afflicted were staying home or if every remedy failed thus far so no one bothered.
She was grateful that she was easily able to deal with those who did make it to her door. She blended together packets of herbs for teas to soothe sore throats, poultices for small wounds and even blended a few of the stored liquids for coughs and fevers. Everything she saw suggested the previous healer had been competent, just without magic. As much as she didn’t want to use items she hadn’t made completely herself, she had to trust some of the more basic ones. She used her magic to enhance them before passing them over, even if it was something that wouldn’t usually have magic added.
She added it, just in case.
Luckily those who came to her knew the set prices for things and gave her the coinage needed. There were also some trade items given. Over and over she heard the phrase, “Luras and I had an agreement…” before some sort of trade awa often. Mixed in with the coins were traded promissory notes for food stuffs, cloth and various other items that she knew she would need soon.
Kasca agreed to all the trades as well as the coins. She didn’t have time to debate. She could only hope that things slowed before she ran out if items.
‘I’m going to need a shop assistant,’ she realized as she moved between the front room and the work room. ‘I’m also going to need to restock supplies.’
As the last patron left Kasca realized that she was exhausted. She locked the front door and went to the till. She separated the coinage from the trade tokens and realized she hadn’t done too badly. She would need to see what other healers offered. Everyone else may know the set prices, or at least an approximation, but she needed to know as well.
She locked away the items knowing she would need at least some of the tokens in the morning. She took the lock box into the back work room with her and looked at the mess it had become. She was significantly lower in supplies than she was before, but thought she might be able to get through another day. There were still many ready made items she could lean into, but she would need to make several of her own concoctions. Deciding that she would use one of her travel rations for food tonight instead of visiting the food stalls this evening, Kasca went upstairs, tucked away the lock box and retrieved her rations.
As the workshop felt more homey, she descended the stairs again and returned to the work room. While she ate, Kasca compiled a list of the items she felt she should have on hand for the morning. After eating, she dusted off her hands and got to work.
Ten til Midnight 